What are Brown Spots on the Hands

What are Brown Spots on the Hands

The telltale signs of aging not only include crow’s feet and gray hair, but also older looking skin on the back of the hands. The skin gets thin and crepey in texture, and also develops brown spots known as age spots, or liver spots. The hands are often neglected despite being the first part of your body to show serious signs of aging, a problem that can start as early as your mid-20s. The damage is directly connected to environmental influences and is especially noticeable in areas that are frequently exposed to the sun’s damaging rays.

Unfortunately, most people don’t recognize signs of aging on their hands until their 30s or 40s, when discoloration starts to show, and the damage is well underway. Our skin has a natural pigment known as melanin, which is produced by cells called melanocytes in the Basel layer of the epidermis. When our skin is constantly exposed to sunlight, melanin is produced to protect us from UVA and UVB damage. A brown spot is an area that has a higher deposit and concentration of melanin. These spots are very common in individuals that are 40 years old and older, but there are also people that might develop them at a younger age. They are not simply caused by age alone, but more so the amount of sun you’ve been exposed to.

Getting into the habit of using a broad-spectrum sunscreen will help protect against the UV rays and signs of aging like brown spots. Even in the car, slip on a pair of driving gloves for UV protection. If you’re getting your nails done — especially a gel manicure — always apply sunscreen before exposing your hands to the UV lamps. This is why at Complexions we do not use UV lamps in our nail department.